Seeding device.



J. M. UPPER. SEEDING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JULYIB', 1.808.

PATENTBD Nov. 1a,

W/TNESSES JOHN M. UPPER, OF GRESHAM, NEBRASKA.

SEEDING DEVICE.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 13, 1906.

Application filed .Tuly18,1906. Serial No. 326.689.

To all wiz/0m, t may concern:

Beit known that I, JOHN M. OPPER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Gresham, in the county of York and State of Nebraska, have invented a new and Iml proved Seeding Device, of which the following l is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to seeding devices adapted to be attached to corn-planters.

In many .of the devices heretofore used for selecting and dropping corn into a hill the seed-plate is operated by means of a clutch, which is thrown into and out of engagement with its adjacent members to start and stop the seed-plate between hills. This constant action of the clutch is a source of great inconvenience and trouble attimesfand one of the objects of my invention is to dispense with the use of such a clutch entirely.

My invention has for its further object to rovide seeding mechanism adapted to select ernels of corn and arrange them edgewise and drop the desired number of kernels into a hill at once and also to provide means for enabling the seed-plate to be operated by the check-rower Wire. This I accomplish by the means illustrated in the drawings, in which drawings like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the views, and in which- Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line l l of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the bottom of a seedbox, the body ofthe box appearing in section. Fig. .3 is a plan view of a seed-plate detached from the seed-box. Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a plan view of a detached blank, and Fig. 6 is transverse section taken on the line 6 6 of As illustrated in the drawings, 1 represents the body of a seed-box, which may be of the usual construction and adapted to be hinged to the frame of a corn-planter, so as to be upended and the seed-plates removed therefrom without removing the seed from the box. The seedbox is provided with a bottom plate having slots 6 extending in the arc of a circle and separated by arc partitions 4. The slots 6 are arranged in staggered relation with each other, so that the ends of said partitions extend in line with the ends of the opposite slots, as shown in Fig. 2.

A seed-plate 14 is secured beneath the bottom of the seedbox by means of a bolt 13 passing through the bottom of the box and the seed-plate. The seed-plate is provided with openings 16, extending through the plate and in radial lines across the plate. These openings 16 are provided with partitions 17, which divide the openings into sections or cells, each cell of one ofthe openings registering with one of the curved grooves 6 formed in the bottom of the seedbox. A bearing-plate 19 is also secured, by means of the bolt 13, -to the bottom of the seedbox and is provided with an oriiice 20, correspondng in outline with one of the openings 16 formed in the seed-plate 14. The bearing-plate 19 is stationary and is made smooth and polished on its upper surface, and the opening 20 is designed to be arranged directly above the mouth of the seed-tube 21, which may be secured to the machine in an suitable manner. The inner walls 3 of the bottom of the seedbox incline downwardly into the curved slots 6, and the central portion 2 of the seedbox-bottom is similarly inclined into the slot 6 adjacent thereto. The upper edges of the partitions 4, formed in the bottom of the feed-box, are also 4preferably inclined. The pur ose of such inclination of a ortion o the bottom of the box is to enab e the seed to work down readily into the grooves 6. The curved sides of the central and outer portions of the box are preferably cut away at intervals, forming indentations or recesses 2a and 3a, which in effect form an enlargement at such portion of the groove, thereby helping to enable the seed to drop readily into the slots 6 without binding together. The slots 6 are made of a width sufficient to enable a kernel of corn to pass through them edgewise, but are not of a width equal to the length or the breadth of a kernel of corn. Such a construction therefore prevents a kernel of corn from passing through said slot except when arranged edgewise. After a kernel has passed through the p slot 6 it enters one of the cells formed in the openings 16 of the seed-plate arranged directly below. Each of these cells holds but one kernel of corn, and after the cells arranged directly beneath the slot 6 in the bottom of the seedbox have received the kernels of corn the seed-wheel 14, being rotated on the bolt 13, carries the opening 16 and the corn held in the cells formed in such opening in a rotary ath on the bearing-plate 19, which is rigid y secured to the bolt 13. This plate prevents the kernels from dropping out from the cells formed in the seed-wheel 14 IOO 2 5 to be inserted in one of such slots, so as to 3o desired to plant but three kernels in a hill one `35 The partitions 17, which are arranged in 4o the partitions may be moved sidewise by a y V4 5 charge-spout 21, arranged beneath the orifice 5o partitions preferably rest in recesses 16a 6 5 The under surface of the partitions 4 is prefuntil one of the series of cells is brought dierably provided with a curved groove 4b, exrectly over the mouth of the discharge-tube tending in a circular line corresponding with 21, which is aflixed to the frame of the mathe circular path traveled by the cell directly chine. As the wheel 14 is rotated on the underneath said groove, so that if a kernel of bolt or shaft 13 the series of cells pass under unusual size becomes lod ed in one of the 7o cut-offs 8 vand 9, which are provided with cells of the seed-wheel suela groove will perbent levers 10, pivoted to the bottom of the mit the kernel to be carried around by the seedbox, and with spiral springs 11, which seed-wheel until it reaches the opening 2O -keep the lower ends of the levers 10 normallyv made in the bearing-plate 19, when it may ro de ressed, so as to extend in line or slightly be dislodged by the knockers located in the bottom of the seedbox over said openings.

be ow the level of the under surface of the bottom of the seedbox. Such cut-offs pre- 'The central portion 2 of the bottom of the seedbox may be provided with a similar vent more than one kernel from becoming lodged in each of the cells formed in the seedgroove 2b for the same purpose and a simii 5 wheel. The seed-wheelisrotated onits shaft, lar groove 3a may be formed in the bottom of 8o preferably by means of sprockets 15, formed the seedbox. By means of such construction thereon, which are adapted to bel operated by a full-hill drop of edgewise selection may be produced and accuracy of drop is thereby the check-rower wire.

As shown in the drawings, the seed-plate is accomplished, combined with simplicity of 2o adapted to drop four kernels of corn in each construction and convenience in adjusting 8 5 hill. Less than four may be dropped, if dethe seed-plate, which may be used either for sired. This is accomplished by means of a hillwork or for drill-dropping. curved blank 7, corresponding in length to Having thus described my invention,what

the exposed portion of the slot 6 and adapted l claim as new, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, isf- 9o 1. In a seed-dropping device, a seedbox having a bottom plate provided with staggered arc slots, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a seed-dro ping device, a seedbox having a bottom p ate provided with staggered arc slots and corresponding separatingpartitions, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a seed-dropping device, the combinaroc tion of a seedbox having a bottom plate provided With staggered arc slots, and a seedplatehaving a series of openings rovidedwith partitions adapted to form cells registering with said slots, substantially as shown and described.

4. In a seed-dropping device, a seed-plate having a series of openings extending through said plate in radial lines and provided with transverse partitions forming a series of cells i 1o in said openings, substantially as shown and described.

5. In a seed-dropping device, a seed-plate having a series of o enings extending through said plate in radia lines and provided with transverse partitions having a limited lateral movement in said openings forming cells variable in width, substantially as shown and described.

6. ln a seed-dropping device, a seed-plate 12o having a series of openings extending through .said plate in radial lines thereof, transverse partitions arranged in said openings to form cells therein, and sprockets secured to the periphery of said plate, substantially as shown and described.

7. In a seed-dropping device, the combination with a seedbox having a bottom plate provided with staggered arc slots, of a revolule seed-plate provided with a plurality of 13o cover the'cells of the seed-wheel directly beneath, and'thereby regulate the number of kernels of corn in each compartment or series of cells in the 'seed-wheel. Thus if it is of such slots 6 may be filled by means of the blank. lf but two kernels of corn are desired to be dropped into a hill, a similar blank is inserted in one of the adjacent grooves.

the openings 16 made in he seed-wheel, are preferablyconnected with such wheel, so as `Ito have a limited lateral movement on the `seed-wheel, By means of such construction kernel of corn of unusual thickness, and thereby enable the cell to adjust its width to the kernel of corn, so that such kernel may freely pass through the cell and into the disin the bearing-plate 19. The ends of the partitions 17 are preferably provided with notches 17a, which engage shoulders 18 lformed in the seed-wheel. 'The ends of the vformed in t e seed-wheel and wider than the thickness of the partitions, so as to enable such partitions to have a slight lateral movement. The partitions are inserted in place 55 on the seed-wheel by bending them in the direction of their length, then inserting them in the openings 16 of the seed-Wheel and bending them straight after they have been so arranged in said openings. Knockers of 6c any desired construction may be secured to r the bottom of the seedbox directly over the discharge-orifice of the machine, so as to loosen and discharge from the seed-wheel any corn which may become lodged therein.

series of cells adapted to register with said slots, and cut-05s connecting With said seedplate, substantially as shown and described.

8. The combination With a seedboX provided in its bottom With curved slots eXtend ing in circular lines, of a rotary seed-plate provided With a multiple series o1c cells adapted to register With said slots, a bearing-plate adapted to bear against the under surface of said seed-plate, provided With a dischargeoriiice adapted to register with a series of cells, and a detachable blank adapted to be inserted in one of the slots of the seedeplate, substantially as shown and described.

9. In a seed-dropping device, the combination With a seedboX provided with a bottom plate having staggered arc slots, of a revoluble seed-plate provided With a plurality of series of cells adapted to register With said slots, and provided on its outer edge With a series of sprockets corresponding in number with a series of cells, and a bearing-plate adapted to bear against the under surface of said seed-plate, and provided With an opening adapted to register with each series of cells, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JOHN M. OPPER.

Witnesses:

J E. HART, C. H. DAVIDSON. 

